Sam Raimi unlikely to return to Oz

March 11, 2013 - By Derick McDuff

We already know that Disney is actively working on a sequel to Oz the Great and Powerful with writer Mitchell Kapner, but it looks like Sam Raimi will not be attached to the upcoming film. He spoke to Bleeding Cool recently and indicated that he would not be directing the next Oz film.

This isn’t the first time Raimi has walked away from a highly successful franchise, he declined to make a fourth Spider-Man film, which famously prompted a reboot. Unlike Spider-Man, Raimi is not leaving because of a disagreement with the studio, it seems that Rami only ever intended to make one Oz movie.

Here is a bit of what he said to Bleeding Cool:

I haven’t planned on directing the sequel. I did leave some loose ends for another director if they want to make the picture.

This will surely add fuel to the fire that Raimi is setting time aside to work on Evil Dead 4, which would not be connected to the upcoming reboot, however Raimi indicated in the same interview with Bleeding Cool that such talk was premature.

Now we will surely see a scuttle to see who will be seizing the reins of the newborn franchise, much like what we recently saw with Francis Lawrence taking over The Hunger Games series and Matt Reeves being chosen to direct Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.